The United States Air Force maintains a complex network of installations designed to project air power and support global operations. There are many measurements by which to compare the bases that form the global network, but one of the simplest and most illustrative is the number of aircraft stationed at each one.

U.S. Air Force Col. Nathan Malafa, left, outgoing U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron commander, and Lt. Col. Alexander Prevendar, incoming USAFADS “Thunderbirds” commander, smile during a change of command ceremony at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., Dec. 5, 2025. (Yendi Borjas/U.S. Air Force)

On Friday, Dec. 12, JetBlue flight 1112, from Curaçao to New York City, was involved in a scary mid-air incident with a U.S. military plane over Venezuela.

Blog posts represent the views of CFR fellows and staff and not those of CFR, which takes no institutional positions. The origins of the USAF lie in a decision made just four years after the Wright Brothers conducted the world’s first airplane flight at ...

This post may contain links from our sponsors and affiliates, and Flywheel Publishing may receive compensation for actions taken through them. The most powerful air force the world has ever known, the United States Air Force is currently the second largest ...

Deterrence is emerging as a theme for Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, but questions remain about the administration’s ability to deliver and maintain the nation’s nuclear deterrent. At the Air Force Summit on March 19, Hegseth commented on the ...

The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds will perform over the Carolina Beach shoreline in 2027, marking a rare stop for the elite aerial demonstration team. READ MORE: ‘Get Low’ with Lil